Big Change To Cool Weather Today

YESTERDAY/LAST NIGHT: The cold front brought rain to parts of North and West Alabama… totals included:

Huntsville 0.77″
Valley Head 0.74″
Decatur 0.73″
Concord 0.19″
Hamilton 0.14″
Scottsboro 0.09″
Haleyville 0.07″
Muscle Shoals 0.04″
Coker 0.01″
Cullman 0.01″
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport 0.00″

Needless to say, this won’t help the drought, and today will be the 33rd consecutive day with no measurable rain in Birmingham. The record is 52 consecutive days with no rain, set in 1924.

Two good analogs for this month are October 1924 (rain total was 0.00″ for the month), and October 1938 (rain total was 0.05″). Highs were in the upper 80s and low 90s those Octobers, but the weather turned much cooler around the 20th of the month, much like the change we are experiencing now. We note the winters that followed those Octobers were relatively wet and mild. That, of course, doesn’t necessarily mean this winter will be that way; there is very little skill in seasonal outlooks. We will just have to wait and see.

Drought conditions will only worsen in coming days; there is no significant chance of rain through next week.

RED FLAG WARNING: We should also mention a “red flag warning” is in effect for all of Central Alabama today due to wildfire danger; we have the combination of very low humidity and gusty north winds. Of course, the “no burn ban” remains in effect.

COOL CHANGE: Most places won’t get out of the 60s today despite a sunny sky, and a north wind of 12-22 mph will make it feel cooler.

We drop into the 38-43 degree range tomorrow and Sunday morning; colder valleys and protected areas could see a touch of light frost early Sunday when the wind should be near calm. Expect sunshine in full force over the weekend; the high tomorrow will be in the mid to upper 60s, followed by mid to upper 70s Sunday.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For high school games tonight, the sky will be mostly clear, and temperatures will be cool, falling through the 50s. You will need a jacket this week.

Alabama will host Texas A&M tomorrow afternoon at Bryant-Denny Stadium (2:30p CT kickoff)… the sky will be sunny; 68 degrees at kickoff, falling into the upper 50s by the final whistle.

Auburn hosts Arkansas at Jordan-Hare Stadium tomorrow evening (5:00p CT kickoff)… the sky will be clear with temperatures falling from near 67 degrees at kickoff, into the upper 50s by the end of the game.

RACE WEEKEND AT TALLADEGA: Today will be breezy and much cooler with a sunny sky, and a high in the mid to upper 60s. Expect a bright sunny sky tomorrow and Sunday with fantastic temperatures; the high tomorrow will be close to 68, followed by a high of 75 Sunday. Temperatures will drop to near 40 degrees early tomorrow and Sunday morning at the Superspeedway.

NEXT WEEK: Sunny pleasant days and clear cool nights; unfortunately no sign of rain at this point. The latest GFS does hint at the chance of light rain around Saturday October 29. See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.

AT THE BEACH: Sunny days, fair nights through next week with highs 75-80, and lows in the 56-62 degree range. See a very detailed Gulf Coast forecast here.

TROPICS: The disturbance northeast of the Bahamas remains disorganized, and the rest of the Atlantic basin is quiet.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.

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I have weather programs today for a home school group at Tannehill Valley Baptist Church, and at Snow Rogers Elementary in Gardendale… look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon. Enjoy the day!

Tags: ANC, dry

Category: Alabama's Weather